AVS 52nd International Symposium
    Vacuum Technology Wednesday Sessions
       Session VT-WeM

Paper VT-WeM9
New High Capacity Getter for Large Vacuum Devices

Wednesday, November 2, 2005, 11:00 am, Room 201

Session: Gas Flow and Pump Technology
Presenter: H. Londer, Alvatec Alkali Vacuum Technologies GmbH, Austria
Authors: H. Londer, Alvatec Alkali Vacuum Technologies GmbH, Austria
P. Adderley, Jefferson Lab
G. Bartlok, MAGNA STEYR Fahrzeugtechnik AG & Co KG, Austria
W. Knapp, Otto-von-Guericke-Universitaet Magdeburg, Germany
D. Schleussner, Otto-von-Guericke-Universitaet Magdeburg, Germany
Correspondent: Click to Email
Current Non evaporable getters (NEGs) are important for the improvement of vacuum by the help of metallic surface sorption of residual gas molecules. High porosity alloys or powder mixtures of Zr, Ti, Al, V, Fe and other metals are the base material for this kind of gas sorbents. The development of vacuum technologies creates new challenges for the field of getter materials. The main sorption parameters of the current NEGs, namely, pumping speed and sorption capacity, have reached certain level limits. Chemically active metals are the basis of NEGs of a new generation. The appearance of new materials with high sorption capacity at room temperature is a long-felt need. It is obvious, that chemically active metals and alloys with reactivity higher, than that of transition metals, can become this kind of materials. The potential of active metals as the strongest gas sorbents is very high. The improved getter materials allow a faster pumping speed and a significant higher sticking rate on the chemically active surface. The sorption capacity can be increased by up to 10@super 4@ times due to the active surface (during the life-time of a device the whole volume of the getter material reacts). Our directions are active metals with controlled insulation or protection. The main structural forms of the new getter concepts are spherical powders, granules and porous multi layers. The full sorption performance takes already place at room temperature, the activation temperature can be adjusted between room temperature and 650 degree C. The paper presents measurement- and analytical data of the sorption behaviour, like pumping speed, sorption capacity etc., of different residual gases, like H2, N2, O2, CO2, etc.. The comparison of the data with the existing getter technology shows several advantages and new fields of possible applications.